“This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior. May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.”
2 Peter 1:1-2 NLT
Peter begins his second epistle by speaking of the faith that we as believers have. Interestingly, he notes that it was out of the sense of fairness and justice of Jesus. This is important to note because it shows his mindset about his relationship with Christ. Tradition tells us that Peter was martyred upside down because he didn’t believe himself worthy to be killed in the same way as Jesus. This is likely due to his betrayal of him during the passion week. Yet he claims that it is God’s sense of fairness that allows for faith to spread. A logical conclusion is that Peter’s sense of justice is different than God’s. As believers we can be thankful for this truth. God honors his own image in every human being. He gives everyone a significant and available opportunity to accept him, even if they don’t recognize it or don’t want it. This fact speaks to the character of who God is. He is offers faith to all that brings about his sense of salvation and justice. As we begin Peter’s message, we must remember this framework for his writings.
JOSH McGARY. COM 